{ Allie & Eric’s Wedding }

On October 17, 2016October 17, 2016 By mrs. harrisIn Friends, Gratitude, LA, WeddingLeave a comment

Some MAJOR catching up on the blog today! I am going to try to get this blog up to date as we are already in the middle of fall and the blog is still in the middle of summer!

One of my absolute favorite weekends of the year was celebrating one of my oldest friends, Allie, her now hubby, Eric, and their beautiful wedding. Southern California is picturesque year round but this particular day in July was simply stunning. The sun was out, the coast had a cool breeze, and the bride was glowing!

The wedding was particularly special as it meant my high school best friends and I got to reunite, which only happens a couple times a year. We were able to be with the bride before the wedding for getting ready/bonding time and see her off before the ceremony. We met Allie at the Terranea Resort in Palos Verdes, one of the most beautiful resorts in the South Bay, and we enjoyed brunch and champagne while Allie got pampered. It was an emotional and precious time to share with her and for us as a group of close friends to share altogether.

One of my favorites moments was watching Allie, her mother, and her sisters take photos before Allie left for her first look with Eric. The Sevy women looked gorgeous and their close-knit bond glowed with pride for their big sister/daughter. So special!

After the family left the villa for photos, Kelly, Miranda, and Rachel and I enjoyed some classic female bonding, sharing the same mirror getting ready, doing each other’s hair, sipping lots of champagne, and reminiscing on the past 16 years of our friendship. So grateful for these women in my life! Eventually the husbands came to join the fun before we headed to the venue.

We arrived at the venue shortly before the ceremony and it took my breath away. Catalina View Gardens had the view of all views! A panoramic view of Palos Verdes, Catalina, and the Pacific Ocean was an idyllic backdrop for such an occasion. The ceremony itself was authentically Allie and Eric and told their love story of the past eight years. Neither the bride or groom could stop smiling and the happiness was contagious!

Allie was the most STUNNING bride! She was glowing from the inside out. In true Allie form, she was saying hello and giggling to all the guests the whole way down the aisle. Loved watching you soak in every moment, Al!

The reception did not disappoint. Every detail was perfectly executed and delivered the rustic elegance theme beuatifully. From the centerpieces to the lights to the music, every detail was intrinsically Allie and Eric. We danced the night away to classic rock, oldies, top 40, and everything in between. True to form in our group of friends, we were the first and last ones on the the dance floor.

And what wedding is complete without a photo shoot with your gorgeous friends…

Allie & Eric – Thank you for including us in your special day! We are so thrilled for you both and know that the next year as newlyweds will be one of the most memorable of your lives! We will cherish your special day with you always! We can’t wait for more good times together in all the years ahead! We love you!

{ The Novaks Take NYC! }

On September 7, 2016September 7, 2016 By mrs. harrisIn Friends, Gratitude, Married Life, NYC, Visitors1 Comment

This summer has come and gone and I have so much catching up to do on the incredible summer we’ve had!

July kicked off in the BEST way with some of our very closest friends, Kyle and Kelsey Novak, visiting us for the Fourth of July! We did so many things while they were here from brunches to dinner dates, to playing in Central Park and Broadway shows, we did New York and we did it up right.

drive-in

Bocce Ball in Central Park. One of our favorite wedding gifts from our friends Jeff and Cathy was a bocce ball set from Crate & Barrel. We had yet to christen it and with the Novaks in town it was the perfect time to break it in.

bocce

We split up the couples and played Z and Kels versus Kyle and Jojo. Despite that Z and Kels are ~~cheaters~~ strategic players and that Kyle and I did our best, the uneven ground of Central Park created a whole new level of challenge to the game. Z and Kels took the ‘W’ and we had an absolute blast! So many onlookers were trying to figure out what game we were playing, it was slightly entertaining. We kept thinking “do they not have bocce ball on the East Coast?”

cab

Sunset Cruise. When my parents were in town we took them on a boat cruise of the Statue of Liberty and the southern tip of the island. It truly is the perfect way to see Manhattan from the water so we knew it was a ‘must’ when the Novaks were in town. We decided to change it up and do the sunset cruise which could not have been more perfect. The July sunset proved to be the ultimate part of the cruise, reflecting on the city and Lady Liberty to the point where it took your breath away. Kelsey took some incredible snapshots that I’ve posted below. It was definitely one of everyone’s favorite parts of the trip. We hit the Brass Monkey afterwards for some rooftop cocktails to end the night!

sunset liberty

Fourth of July: Coney Island & The Beach Boys. We all checked off a major bucket list item with our holiday plans. We had found out months earlier that Coney Island has a summer concert series at the Ford Amphitheater on their boardwalk and that The Beach Boys would be playing on Fourth of July. It was a unanimous decision to go to the show. I mean, does it get more American than that?!

We decided to get to Coney Island a few hours earlier to jump on some of the rides and grab some dinner. Kelsey was a total sport despite her fear of some of the roller coasters (way to go, girl!) and we got to make it on two rides before the show.

roller-coaster coney

We played our Spotify and Pandora Beach Boys playlists leading up to the concert and we were shocked at how many of the songs we actually knew the words to. We were rocking out, dancing in the aisles, FaceTiming parents to sing along, and singing our hearts out all night long. It was hands down one of the best shows we’ve been to. If you ever have the chance to see them DO IT. Feel good, happy music, a crowd of all ages, and no shame in the dancing game amongst any concert-goers. The night was capped off with fireworks on the boardwalk. God bless America!

I should also mention that John Stamos was the guest drummer, guitarist, back-up singer and bass player. I mean Uncle Jesse is lookin’ pretty good. It’s like the man hasn’t aged. He only added to the epic-ness of the entire evening!

School of Rock Musical. Our last night came way too soon but we weren’t slowing down. Despite how tired we were from our day at Coney Island we decided to put on our date night finest and head to the Theater District to see School of Rock: The Musical. We picked it after seeing a performance from the Tony Awards and it also fell within our last minute ticket purchase budget. We went in with minimal expectations and we left blown away. The cast includes a number of pre-teens that are required to play musical instruments and they actually do! The talent and the energy was palpable and the theater nerd in me was especially excited to hear Andrew Lloyd Weber’s music composition in rock form. For those who don’t know he wrote the music for The Phantom of the Opera. We had such a ball and were so happy we decided to see it! Four sets of two thumbs up!

Kyle & Kelsey, thank you for being our first friends to make the cross-country trek to see us in our new home! You will always hold a special place in our hearts and this visit meant so much to us. If there’s one thing I can say about you two, is that you know it’s never going to be a bad time hangin’ with the Novaks. Thank you for sharing your energy and adventurous spirit with us and helping us check off some of our own NYC bucket list items off the list! We love you! Can’t wait for the next adventure!

{ Dana & CJ’s Visit }

On July 25, 2016July 25, 2016 By mrs. harrisIn Apartment Livin', Foodies, Gratitude, NYC, VisitorsLeave a comment

It is embarrassing how long it has been since I have updated the blog. Gah! But we are back in action and I won’t leave ya hangin’ anymore! Pinky promise. In the past month we’ve had two sets of visitors, a trip to Southern California, and I’ve started a new job and career venture. Woohoo! I’ll post about each thing separately, but for now, I’m going to take you back to early June.

My dad and mom, Dana & CJ, were our first official family visitors to NYC! Ten full days of sharing our 700 square feet apartment, touring the city, walking an average of 11K steps a day (thank you iPhone Health app), and spending uninterrupted, quality time together. And boy, did we have an AWESOME time.

My parents made an incredible collage/list of each day in detail but I think to spare this blog post from being ten pages long, I will tell the story of their visit through photos with highlights of my favorite parts.

Central Park. Early in the trip we walked through Central Park and I showed them all my favorite places and spaces in the park. We eventually made it one of my favorite restaurants on the Upper West Side, Jacob’s Pickles, where we dined and dad found a new fav cocktail, the Bees Knees.

Wall Street Bull. The infamous statue in the heart of Wall Street attracts many tourists. I’ve written about it in a previous blog but to remind you, oh dear reader, that people often take pictures holding the bulls (ahem) balls which is actually quite dumb to watch people do over and over. My dad’s response to this was to take a different pose with the bull…

Yes. You’re welcome for that. Dana is never one to shy away from an “opportunity” to add a little shock and hilarity to a situation. The reactions on people’s faces in the background is my favorite!

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. To say my mom is obsessed with Stephen Colbert would be an understatement. She is in LOVE with Colbert. If my parents had a hall pass list Colbert would easily be in the top three. One of our family friends, Cami Thacher, works for Colbert as a copy writer and was able to get us four VIP tickets to a live taping. The guests were Laura Linney and John Leguizamo who were both wonderful. Stephen comes out to speak to the audience before the live taping to meet & greet as well as answer questions from the audience. Mom had prepared a question ahead of time but as soon as Stephen opened the floor for questions she got school girl crush nervous and couldn’t bring herself to even raise her hand. It was both precious and hilarious. We had a blast and it was definitely a highlight of the trip. Thank you, Cami!

Mom’s Birthday. For the first time in many years I got to celebrate my mom’s birthday with her. It was by far one of the best days of the trip. We walked the Brooklyn Bridge and had pizza at the infamous Grimaldi’s, and then headed to the Brooklyn Brewery. Mom loves a good brewery and a dark stout! Later in the evening, Z and I treated my parents to dinner at The Flatiron Room, known for their live jazz and vast library of whiskeys. We ended the night at Don’t Tell Mama, one of my top spots in the city, a piano bar where the servers and bartenders are aspiring broadway performers and sing all night long. Per my dad’s request they played my parents’ wedding song (Billy Joel’s “Just The Way You Are”) and of course, a “Happy Birthday” sing-a-long from the entire bar. It was a top night!

There are so many other precious moments and memories made throughout the 10-day visit. It was an emotional departure when they left for LA but I am so incredibly grateful the intimate, uninterrupted time with my parents. Being roommates again ended up being a very good time! Life is so short and I miss being away from them but by choosing to be present in each moment of every day we were really able to cherish our time together, as opposed to dreading the impending goodbye which is something I typically do.

Mama & Dad – I feel so blessed to be your kid. You fill my soul with calm and confidence in this crazy new city I live in and my heart is full that you were able to come visit so soon after our move. You inspire me and love me unconditionally. Most of all, you are the BEST people to share a good laugh with. And I love that we laugh A LOT in our family.

I’ll leave you with more photos from other adventures in our trip. Can’t wait for the next visit!

{ Grateful Lately }

On April 22, 2016April 22, 2016 By mrs. harrisIn Gratitude1 Comment

I’m starting a new series on the blog that will focus on gratitude. Life can be crazy and complicated, especially when transitioning into a new city and lifestyle, so we’re trying to be more mindful of the simple and beautiful things we have in our present.

Lately, I’ve been grateful for…

Spying the Freedom Tower in all corners of the city

freedom tower

Modern technology that lets this bi-coastal Auntie be close to some of my favorite little ones

Being close to East Coast family and a husband who hogs baby Cyrus

cyrus

The rich history of our new city and it’s intermix of classic and modern architecture

Home delivered laundry service that saves us 5 hours a week which we used to spend in the laundry room…and the weird giant caterpillar shape it comes home in

laundry